Research Briefing
Ofcom auctioned radio spectrum needed for 4G mobile devices in 2013, raising £2.34 billion (less than Treasury forecasts). This briefing summarises the details of the auction, potential interference with digital television and future plans for the 700 MHz lot of spectrum.
Research Briefing
Marine Conservation Zones are being introduced to protect nationally important marine environments. 127 sites were put forward by regional stakeholder groups, and the Government designated 27 sites in 2013. The Government consulted on a second tranche of MCZs early in 2015. It is expected that the Government will announce a third tranche of candidate MCZ sites in 2016.
Research Briefing
Hunting with dogs was banned in England in 2004 under The Hunting Act. In July 2015 the Government announced that it intended to amend the legislation to amend the legislation.
Research Briefing
Why did the UK Government decide to renegotiate the UK's terms of EEC membership in 1974-75? What was the outcome of the negotiations and what did the Referendum Bill say? This briefing looks at the Labour Government's renegotiation and indicates where there are parallels with the present Government's renegotiation agenda.
Debate Pack
This debate pack has been compiled ahead of the debate on Coastal flood risk to be held on Tuesday 7 July 2015 at 9.30am in Westminster Hall. The Member in charge of the debate is Melanie Onn. Debate packs are produced quickly after the announcement of Parliamentary business. They are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issue being debated and identify relevant briefings and useful documents, including press and parliamentary material. More detailed briefing can be prepared for MPs on request to the Library.
Debate Pack
This debate pack has been complied ahead of the debate on Shale gas on Tuesday 30 June 2015 at 09:30am. The Member in charge of the debate is Kevin Hollinrake MP. Debate packs are produced quickly after the announcement of parliamentary business. They are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issue being debated and identify relevant briefings and useful documents, including press and parliamentary material. More detailed briefing can be prepared for Members on request to the Library.
Debate Pack
This debate pack has been complied ahead of the debate on Science and research in the UK and regional economies on Wednesday 24 June 2015 at 09:30am.
Debate Pack
This debate pack has been prepared for the Westminster Hall debate on Superfast broadband rollout on Wednesday 24 June at 2.30pm. It sets out the current situation with regard to broadband access and coverage and provides an overview of the Government’s broadband policy for the UK. It focuses on the delivery of broadband targets and funding in England as the devolved administrations have their own delivery programmes. In addition, appendices found at the bottom of this page provide detailed data on broadband speeds and superfast availability by region and parliamentary constituency, including maps.
Research Briefing
Following a consultation exercise, in December 2014 the Coalition Government confirmed that from 1 April 2015, landfill site operators would be able to use a new 'Loss on Ignition' (LOI) test, to ensure they charged the right rate of landfill tax on 'fines' - residual waste from waste processing. Operators would be able to charge the lower rate of tax on 'fines' meeting certain criteria. This Order would introduce the new test. It is not expected to have an Exchequer impact.
Research Briefing
This briefing paper has been withdrawn. It has been replaced by the Library briefing on the Psychoactive Substance Bill 2015.
Research Briefing
This book examines the key issues facing the House of Commons over the course of the 2015 Parliament - from the public finances to the UK’s membership of the EU and from school places for children to climate change.
Research Briefing
Net neutrality is the concept that all information and services should have equal and open access online without regard to content, destination or source. Both net neutrality—and the associated concept of the ‘open internet’—are considered to be founding principles of the World Wide Web. Concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are looking to circumvent net neutrality principles—deciding how fast data will be transmitted and at what quality—have led to campaigns to explicitly legislate for net neutrality. Without net neutrality campaigners fear a two-tiered service with fast and slow lanes could develop. In the past few years, the EU and other countries have attempted to explicitly legislate to ensure Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate in a net neutral fashion.
Research Briefing
Religious slaughter of animals for food without pre-stunning is currently permitted in the UK for Muslim (Halal) and Jewish (Shechita) methods in line with permitted exemptions to EU slaughter regulations which require pre-stunning. In practice, around 80% of halal meat in the UK is from animals that have been pre-stunned. The UK Government has said that it would prefer all animals to be pre-stunned before slaughter on welfare grounds but it observes the rights of religious communities. However, animal welfare groups, including the British Veterinary Association and RSPCA are calling for an end to non-stun slaughter. All parties in the debate would like to see labelling of meat which provides more consumer information on the slaughter methods used.
Total results (page 65 of 85)